This sounds like such a great plan, but then I begin to become overwhelmed. I mean, that liftkit alone will cost me minimum $1,200. Then I can guess it will cost some good bucks to have some professionally install that right? Then, I still either got to buy a new transmission or have this existing one repaired. If it gets repaird, I don't know how much longer its going to last me. So I have that issue always circulating in my head. Then, to try and save the transmission, your looking at bigger gears. If I don't have them, I'm assuming I don't, then I would want to get 4.56s. How much am I looking at for gears and installation, like another $1200 combined? Then last, to get the smooth ride I desperately need, tires in a 35" size are going to generally run me $1,000. I mean hell, this is a lot of money I don't have lol. I'm still paying payments on this truck as well. What would you guys do in my situation?

 

change the suspension back too original off-road edition height, put some 285/75/16's on, leave the gears at 4.10

your truck will handle nice, and have enough power

you will also save alot of money doing this....................also your gas mileage will probably go up to around 13-14 mpg

I am a broke college student too.............just my 2 cents

 

Then perhaps later on in life start over. I just could really see myself in a big money pit. If I buy that 5'5 Fabtech, I'd have to be commited to like doing everything else. This brings me back now to my point. If I put it back down to offroad height, what kind of backspacing should I be looking for in a wheel that will allow the trucks tires to stick out. I just get a little sad having to get rid of the lift, I wish it wasn't so pieced together. Hell I already went and bought that trackbar from thuren, its the 0-3" though, so it should still work. Sighh, this is an annoying situation. I just don't want to be sad if I lower it back down, but maybe when I'm out of college when I can afford a true lift kit and gears, then thats when I can do it?...Very confusing decisions to make.

 

Tranny = atleast 2500$
Fabtech Lift=1500$
A/T 35's= 800$

I dont think you can afford that, because I am in the same situation you are

who knows the U.S. economy is ****, and we might to be able to afford to drive our trucks soon due to gas prices, they are sure as hell not going down

Gas prices seem to have the "ratchet effect", they jack the price up;drop it 10 cents and we are all like yippee kay yay, then it goes up again, and were like mother *****, then they drop again and we get all excited again..........................and so on and so on until ultimatelythe price is going to be 5.00$ a gallon

 

God damnit do you got that right. I swear it's an epidemic. Gas prices make me sick. Of course nobody gives us in trucks any sympathy, but my god, just to fill it is over $80. I get very stressed out with this whole suspension topic. I wonder what I should do. Do I tear it down and make it a sound truck with 285s? Do I complete piecing out the rigged lift and still have a spongy suspension? Do I invest in bigger gears. Just seems to me like more and more and more money, makes me want to puke. In my situation, it seems most sensible to bring it back down to offroad height, put 285s on her with some nice wheels with low backspacing to make them stick out nice and cool. This way I dont have to worry about my transmission (if its repaird) to be overworked with the 35s, and then I won't have to worry about busting up anymore components because nothing is matched. Then after I make that proposal, I get really annoyed because I love the way my truck looks, I love the big tires, and I love being up high. Life sucks, and pretty much my family, women, and my truck make me happy. If I loose happiness with my truck, thats 1/3 of my happyness gone lol. I could use some further guidance from you guys here, I'm just really at a loss with what I should do, and money sure is tight with me at this point, but I know I can get some help from my folks if it's a legitimate cause.

 

Since the offroad is 1.5" higher than a normal ram you will only get an aditional 4" or so over how the truck sits stock from a 5.5" kit. This is because it will replace the coils which are what give you a lift on the offroad model.

If you were to put it on a normal Ram you would get 5.5" of lift as it doesn't have any factory lift to take off. Basically your truck with a 5.5" lift and a normal ram with a 5.5" lift would be the same height.

Just saying you won't have a 7" lift instead of a 5.5" as what gives you the lift now will be replaced.



If it was me I'd take those spacers out now and see how the 35"s do. If they really rub maybe go down to a smaller tire. I'm not sure how the 35"s would do on a stock wheel. A lot better than an aftermarket one I"m sure.

 

Woah Woah Woah... wait a min here. Did you really get the the thuren track bar for a 0-3" lift? This still may be part of your alignment problems. What do you all think guys? If your off road, thats +2" and your are coil hats are 2"? Thats 4"? What honestly is so rigged up about your lift? Somebody please toss this around for a minute. I'm sitting here thinking and really, you could keep everything the same for the most part. Would all he need is the upper and lower control arms? I think the stock are good up to 2 or 3" and again if hes doing 4" Someone else think about this and see. This could save a lot of $$ as far as your lift kit. This wont necessarly fix your drifing problem, but lets work on the lift for now. Go for new shocks which you need anyway if your can rock your truck that bad. Lets go from there. Getting an entire kit may still be a good idea if you insist, but im still convinced that the lift isnt whats causing the drifing. My buddy's 01 2500 complains of the same problem. It only started happening after he switched his tires.

 

If you put 285"s on your truck and take those spacers off you should be perfect as far as gears go. Thats if you do infact have 4.10"s. It should be a good setup just slightly lower than you have it now. My truck has a 3" lift and 33"s and is pretty nice sized. You can still get in and out of it but it isn't super low either. I wouldn't mind having 5" and 35"s but at time I think that might be a little big and I don't want to upgrade all the other stuff.


Another option which I'm not super fond of but I'd run before I ran the setup you have now is a body lift. Have you thought about that? You probably get a 3" PA body lift under $300 with everything. So take your spacers out and have that put on and you would be at the same height you have now and you won't have a aftermarket suspension. This will be a lot cheaper too. I'd probably seriously consider it if I wanted more lift and was low on money. I'm not super crazy about the idea of body lifts but I don't think they are too bad. I've heard lots of people say that they liked them and they are super cheap.

That might be a better option than a suspension lift if you want a lift. I'd for sure run one before I ran the setup you have now.

 

I'm not 100% positive this is what or all of what he will need but here is what I think he will need.

With that track bar a track bar drop bracket or new trackbar, Upper and lower control arms, Sway bar drop bracket, Pitman arm drop bracket, longer shocks, and he may or may not need extended brake lines. He probably doesn't with the lift he has but it wouldn't be a bad idea to check on them.

Thats a lot of stuff that can add up. I honestly think he would be better off to put it back to stock or if he really wants a lift get a body lift and if he wants 6" he could do the body lift and 3" coils and be good to go.


Also if you order that Fabtech lift I noticed you have to pay extra for the rear to not be blocks. I'd for sure pay extra for the rear leafs as stacking blocks is as bad of an idea as what you have with the front. Maybe even worse. It's just unsafe. You already have a factory block so you'd have to stack the block from the Fabtech kit on top of it which just is a horrible idea. If you want a block make sure to just get one the size of the lift plus the size of the stock one so you don't have to stack them. A new rear leaf pack would really be a better idea though. Or a AAL but I don't know that any AAL's would get you that high. Then again a 3" one and a 5" front lift would be about perfect looking probably.

 

If you lose happiness with your truck just double up on the women. Then do em in your truck. and BAM your happiness with your truck is restored. Works every time i promise.